Musicans...What are you studying?

funky penguin

Just a general discussion thread really.

Name your instrument and tell us the pieces you're studying at the moment. Might as well tell us if its for grades or what have you. Post you tube links if you can!

Me, I'm a slave to that thing with the black and white keys. No grades (already have them), so its all repertoire.

I'm doing...

Rachmaninov's preludes in B Minor and G Minor (I know......cliché as hell)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxFI2cphuN0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Qb7AS1yxg

Yes, I'm a Richter fan.. :P

L.M. Gottschalk's Souvenir de Porto Rico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu0ff_fMMDU

...and learning Debussy's cello sonata for my brother:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OnHOugZMb8

rcaz

Funky Penguin; I see your cliche and raise you Satie's Premiere Gymnopedie and Bach's Bouree in E Minor :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljiKS0ry7tA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKSg8t4zyLg

I play guitar and piano, but I don't study classical guitar, and I've never really studied piano seriously. I'm learning these two so I can play them at my audition for NUIM.

banquo

Mozart's use of oboe and horn. No, really. I'm that boring.

I f1ckin love orchestration.

The Mad Hatter

Brahms: Study for the left hand alone after Bach's Chaconne BWV 1016*

Skryabin: Prelude and Nocturne in C sharp minor for left hand solo

Reinecke: Sonata in C minor for left hand solo

Yeah, I kind of frakked up my right hand. Also, no good recordings online (except for the Bach/Brahms, which is in a streaming interview with Idil Biret somewhere).




*Edit: according to Google, this chaconne is BWV 1004, but my score somewhat mystifyingly says 1016...

Doshea3

Mad Hatter: Sorry to hear about your right hand. I banjaxed my left hand last year and it's still not right, but unfortunately the lack of right hand repertoire limited me in such exploits! Also, I love that Scriabin left-hand prelude.

Pianist. Currently playing Beethoven C-sharp minor sonata (the "Moonlight", though outside the first movement I think the title is redundant). Liszt, "Aux Cypres de la Villa d'Este" No. 1. Messiaen, Prelude in G-sharp (1964). Debussy, "En Blanc et Noir" (for two pianos). Also started looking at the Scriabin E major study (Op. 8 No. 7?). And various other bits and pieces.

The Mad Hatter

Doshea3 wrote: »

Mad Hatter: Sorry to hear about your right hand. I banjaxed my left hand last year and it's still not right, but unfortunately the lack of right hand repertoire limited me in such exploits! Also, I love that Scriabin left-hand prelude.

Cheers. It's getting better, but I have to keep reminding myself to take it easy on it.

funky penguin

Eeek, thats horrible! Get better soon and don't sgrivate it!

Last June I got severe tendonitis in my right hand on finger 3. Managed to finally get it sorted recently and I'm now about 4 weeks back playing. Oddly, while my technique diminished...my sight reading improved (ever so slightly tough!). Maybe its because I'm being more patient.

Hope you get better soon.

The Mad Hatter

Cheers, funky. I'm also teaching myself the Pathetique sonata (very, very carefully), as I have students learning various movements.

It's soooo much fun...

Zangetsu

I'm a guitarist myself, only going after the grades now, starting off at 4 so hopefully it goes well Just messing around with scales and arpeggios at the moment, the pieces are easy enough!

tootyflutty

Currently working on the Poluenc Flute sonata and Mozart Flute Concerto in G major.
Also on the Vivaldi Piccolo concerto in C major.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJYrizNzPQU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ngL3q0Er2I

Undergod

Right now, studying Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (Debussy), Sechs Kleine Klavierstucke (Schoenberg), Raindrop Prelude (Chopin), and Goodnight Saigon (Joel).

Also writing string trio, a madrigal, a rondo for piano, theme and variation for piano, and a two-pat invention for piano (all kinda common practice harmony) as well as a song for baritone, some piano works, a sonata for piano and demi-clarinet, and an oboe piece.

Undergod

Right now, studying Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (Debussy), Sechs Kleine Klavierstucke (Schoenberg), Raindrop Prelude (Chopin), and Goodnight Saigon (Joel).

Also writing string trio, a madrigal, a rondo for piano, theme and variation for piano, and a two-pat invention for piano (all kinda common practice harmony) as well as a song for baritone, some piano works, a sonata for piano and demi-clarinet, and an oboe piece.

Harsiem

I'm studying Jehan Alain's 'Litanies' on the organ at the moment, it's a beautiful modern piece! The only problem is the price of the sheet music, thoses French publishers!

Danny-B

I'm working on some Chopin Mazukas for my ABRSM Diploma at the moment.
You only need to learn one, but I'm working on three of them, since I've always somewhat neglected playing Chopin (unfortunately).
The Mazukas I'm playing are: Op.67 Nos 2, 3 and 4.

Undergod: How are you finding the Schoenberg?

Aerb

Whoa, huge coincidence. I've listened to Op. 23 No. 5 today about twenty times, but I've watched Valentina Igoshina's interpretation. I wish I'd be able to play it someday. I'm practicing Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 right now. It's a little bit easier than Rachmaninov. <<

Danny-B

I'm just sticking to the Chopin Mazurkas for now! Nice, easy & bitesize, and gorgeous music.
The Waltzes are just plain too much work!

banquo

Perhaps offbeat, but a particual spacing of flut, 2 oboes and 2 bassoons. Heard it first in the middle section of Mozart's d minor concerto and always wondered what that sound was, so today I decided to finally take a look at it. Heavenly! One for the handbook.

Seoid

I play lever harp and working on Grade 8 - which means one boring excercise, one Irish piece (I'm playing Carolan's Farewell) and Fantasia by McNulty, which is fairly modern, I think... I sometimes wonder how they manage to choose so many pieces that are so difficult but still uninteresting for the exams!

Aside from that, I'm building repertoire so working on pop classical, like Pachelbel's Canon, the Mendelssohn's Wedding March, Claire de Lune....

A lot of great music doesn't work on harp at all but at least I don't need a full orchestra to sound good!

funky penguin

Check out Debussy's reverie. I heard a recording of it on harp the other day and it was magical!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLuH3IGtMvE

this ones a little straight for my tastes but still a nice interpretation. Great tempo.

banquo

Damn penguins! Supposed to be doing an essay but then ''Ooooh, internet'' followed by ''Ooooh, Reverie on harp!''

Nice performance. You owe 200 words, Funky!

funky penguin

Subject?

banquo

Eh, all of them? You know anything about.. *glances down at notes*.. ''music... ology?''

Norrdeth

banquo wrote: »

Perhaps offbeat, but a particual spacing of flut, 2 oboes and 2 bassoons. Heard it first in the middle section of Mozart's d minor concerto and always wondered what that sound was, so today I decided to finally take a look at it. Heavenly! One for the handbook.

Is that the characteristic 3 octave spread?

Seoid

Ooh, that does sound lovely!! Must see if it's playable on the lever harp... unfortunately a lot of classical music just can't be played properly - usually because of too many accidentals.

banquo

Norrdeth wrote: »

Is that the characteristic 3 octave spread?

Sorta, the thing I'm looking at the oboes are in a different part of their range. but nicely spotted. Adler worth the money then, yeah?

funky penguin

Adler ftw.

Korsokov ftl

banquo

Adler is far more comprehensive than Korsakov. Korsakov is a bit like ''How to write like Korsakov''

It is, however, free and with musical examples. Good for the basic stuff, like, what the hell oboes sound like.

stlongs

I play a nylon string Guitar. Trying to learn Sweet Home Alabama and Johnny B. Goode on and off for months. Just started Clasical Gas, by Mason Williams, and another tune I found lying around, no idea whats it's called but sounds lovely...

LivingDeadGirl

N00b to this forum, hi

Violin is my principal instrument. Was supposed to do my Grade 8 this year but couldn't do it in conjunction with my LC. My teacher just started me on Brahms Hungarian Dance No.1(played No.5 before, not my favourite that year with all the double stopping) and its hard. I like the piece itself though, just doesn't sound great when I'm butchering it! I'm VEC btw, so I do the School of Music syllabus. Need to get the rest of my books some time soon actually. Need to get Mozart Concerto no.3 in G major and Bartok Six Romanian Dances.

I took up piano 2 years ago, doing Grade 5 in November(damn LC again). Not really good enough to do Grade 5 but I guess I was a bit too ambitious. I'm RI anyway so it isn't that hard. I hate how half the pieces are really modern! Not my thing at all. Doing Etude op 47 no.15 by Heller, Gigue from Suite in D minor HWV 437 by Handel and Sonata in C major Hob XVI/21 by Haydn.

Doshea3

Hi, welcome to the forum! Nice to have some fresh blood...

Piano teacher here. You've picked the best three on that Grade V I think...

Good luck!

plinkyplanky

Another newb here!
Violin player myself, not really studying anything in particular at the moment - finished grades last year, and since the LC practical in March i haven't done any serious practice. Will have to teach myself some new pieces over the summer!